Compressor for filing devices



Oct. 11, 1949. J. R. JONES COMPRESSOR FOR FILING DEVICES Filed Dec. "7, 1944 INV NTOR.

Patented Oct. 11, 1949 mam IRATQENT ,orrr

. .Iamesflt;iitoncsfihikewoodaNnlhassls' orwto Art This invention relates to ofilesmor, .dev,iees-.56f the sort -+W-h JCh comprise La. file ine ceptaclei e01 holder.- for-.tabulating; cards; ,papers .or iothervielements, and ,a compressor-..orafollovcero mounted for adjustment to different.positionsincorionlthe file receptacle ..orv.,holder, depending uponcgthe number -orquantityeof the telementssin tthezhle, for pressing the a-elements'eclosely tege theriilace to face, and. maintaining them \inttheirsoriginal,

fiat condition. In order to..accomplishothis,;iti

has :been customary topmvid means *forareleasaibly holding or isecuringssuch compnessorsiinrthe different,,. required, iadjusted positions .inizor. the file receptacle .or. ,holder, and .oalsoatoc make provisionrforeansextra or supplementalcmouement of the compressor or, a member.there'of'aielatively to its securing means ortadjusted position;onithe file holder, .usualiy effectedby-ieamhorileveroace tion, for firmly -,compressing -rthe.filed.iialements into close: contact ,one .witheanother. s' zfiuchacomi. z

pressors; usually are not automaticin Ltheir zcom pressingaction, ibut -they ihave wtoobe secured zin the adjusted positioncby oneiopenationior manipulation of the securing means andctheicompactingor compressingnaction ,of theizcompressorctheno accomplished :-by on additional soperation or manipulation. c

One object :of -@this ,invention his to; ,provide. .a practical-and desirable, file .or compressoriwhi-ch is automatic in its compressing actiongit vsimply ibeing necessary-to move or press thezcompressor against the file contents, .whenQit ,willractiautomatically to exert (compacting pressureaomthe contents.

Other objects x of thednventiomare .toiiprovide z" an eificient, improvedofile-icompressorawhichocan :be quickly and easilyeoperated toohol'dttheafile contents under compression whichtisrofssimple and economical; construction mwhichtcomprisesea main body plate-onmember on which'.'a1ie';mounted u a the means .for securing the\compressoritineaidjustedgpositions,-:and aespring orttres'il'ien .;:,-plate which .-is-;arranged ,to engage the flle contents and to be placed under rspringutension 'JbyiQth-e adjusting movement of $118 ,vfiOrIHQBGSBOI, :eand

which acts .*by iteresilienee *andfiendencystorresu'me its normalscondition;to-exertaspringgzpnessure against the; file contentsaandrin whichssaid spring .plateserves as ,-acovemplatei to hide cor conceal the. securing ;or adjusting meansmfflthe compressor. 7

Further objects .and eadvantagesisiofethe inwantion will appear fromcthei following, specification of the preferredezembodiment. ofnthelrinvention shown in the taccompanying-rdreavmgs, anditne:

ine. (crime-:28)

; invention illustrated in ether drawings, I memesents the file holderon-receptacle;whichaissshown inithe ;fonm. -:of raash-allowzdrawertorrtray. adapted "toihold-tabulating i: or other cards rorwlements =11 standing-fionedge inrthertram-andtlziindicatestthe compressor, which -.is r arranged upright: inithe tray. iorilong-itudinal -=adjustment: therein, it)! hold .orocompress thezcards betweenythe "compressor and-theiront end wlall lfieor othenggposhgg-mall D X-inertonthetray. w a I uPreferably tthe compressor comprises ean w p otransrerse maineor back plate r M, rand an uprightytransverse, front :zfaee cor coeer; plate r15 supported .hy'the back plate in frontthereof. oThe back. plate-is :shown easgsformed with forwardly respectivelyv at (its ,hottom, :;top-,.and .side ed es. The face .-.orcover plate --l 5 shown consiststofo-a generallysrectangularvplatesotg spring or aresilient sheet metal or tether ;-suitable resilient :matefiel attaci-iedaatf-av middle portion tthereof rtozthe -zback plate, and having .upper and zrlQWBl-T'; portionsimfl. which flare tor incline iorwardly ssomewhat F136- spectively iiipwarclly -,ami downwardly; ,f'romothe middle; attaching portion. ofathe -platezand have rearwandlyldirected, topan lbottom edgeiflang 2|, of whichithetopflange isediacentitoeand overlaps mthe topmfiangesl l V the \bfiliGKQQIaItB-ISO 'asitoielosehori cover the-space between sthe plates mad [5 at-itsutop. i HSaid upper-Wand low pertionsJm-of .the front .p1ate;are --,-adapte d ito; /yi;e1d on springeunder pressure-i-toivard i the hack, plate. Ecru-securing vthe ,iront plates to the mach-plate; the ntormer. is preierahly, provided midwayeof its height with a transverse y channeleshapedi ribs2-2 imwhichha; fillers-bar. 2 3 is secured; .asrby i /fielding,

' andsscriewsifl passingathrough holes intt-he back platetandescrewed .into. threaded holes inathis filler ibar, secure the rib i-ofi the. .ifront; plate in notched iluesior nseats Zing/aided or otherwise secured on and projecting forwardly from the back plate. By these securing means the front plate may be spaced from but fixedly secured at ats middle portion to the back plate [by a single pair of fastening screws 24, the front plate thus being securely anchored to the back plate while leaving its upper and lower portions 20 free to spring or yield toward and from or relatively to the back plate,' 7 Q I The compressor maybe mounted for longitudinal adjustment in the file receptacle and re- 7 E leasably held in adjusted positions therein guide and securing means of known or, suitable a neatappe r nc construction. The means shown for this purpose comprise angle-shaped guide 'arinsjps' suitably fixed on opposite ends of the "compressor back plate l4 so as to project into and'slidev in -longi-":

tension, which will react against the file contents to hold them compressed under spring pressure. In order to free the contents for access thereto for inspection, or addition or removal of elements, it isonly necessary to depress the latch actuating piece and back the compressor away from the file contents.

By constructing the compressor as described, the resilient front or face plate I 5 cooperates with the main or back plate in housing or concealing .the compressor securing or adjusting means, and

this construction provides a practical, readily operable compressor of simple and compact form I, claim my invention:

1. In a filing case of the type having spaced side walls withinwardly-opening grooves on their intudinal guideways 28 formed or providedonthe upright side walls of the receptacle l0. verse shaft 29 journalled on the compressor, as in bearing holes'in the guide arms 26, has secured on its opposite ends toothed pinions 3| which mesh with racks 32 extending longitudinally in the guideways 28,'these racks, as shown, being formed by longitudinal, fianged'strips'welded in the guideways 28-and having horizontally disposed webs with spacedperforations which form the rack teeth'for meshing with the teeth of the pinions 3| "The meshing engagement of "these pinions with the parallel racks at the opposite sides of the receptacle maintains the compressor in parallelism with itself in its adjustments forwardly'and rearwardly in the receptacle.

For releasably holding or' securing the compressor in'its 'different'adjustments in the re ceptacle,- a thumb-or finger actuated latch or locking device isshown, comprising alatch plate 35 (Fig. 4) which is slidable vertically'in a guide bracket 36 welded or otherwise fixed on the front side of theback plate l4, and. is provided with a lug 3'l arranged to engage the teeth' of -'a toothed wheel38 fixed on an adjacent portion'of the s'haft'29. A spring 39, which may 'be arranged between the lower endof the latch plate and a bottom flange of the guide'bracket normally holds the latch lug 31 in engagement' with the teeth 'of wheel 38 and holds an actuating thumb piece or button 4|] on the upper end ofthe latch plate in a position in which'it projects upwardly through a hole in thetop flange I! of the compressor back plate; Latch lug 31 is so inclined relatively to wheel 38 that the teeth of the wheel areadapted to ride or pass overthe lug and permit rotation of the wheel and shaft in a clockwise direction, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the draw ing, thereby enabling forward adjustment of'the compressor simply by pushing the compressor. But the latch'lug' will engage'the wheel teeth and prevent'the reverse rotation of the shaft and rearward movementof the compressor except bydis} engaging'the latch lug from the wheel38' by depressing the actuating thumb piece 40.

'The'operation 0f=my improved filing device, it is believed, will be apparent from the-foregoing description. 'To properly hold or confine the file contents under pressure so as to maintain the cards or elements flat and in contact face 'to face, itfis only'necessary to'push the compressor toward the contents'until the spring face plate pressed against the contents with 'suficient' force to deflect the portions of the face plate toward the main plate 14. The compressor will be held pressed against the file content by engagement of the latchlugwith the latch wheel, and thus retain the plate portions 20 defiecte'dandunde'r 'A' trans-' L said chamberinto said grooves,a pinion fixed on I each' end of said' shaftandin said grooves and meshing with said rack teeth, a ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft and. disposed in said chamber, a latch plate mounted to slide vertically on said back plate, a spring bearing at one end on said back plate and at the other end thereof against said' latch plate in a. direction/to yieldingly urge said latch plate upwardly, atongue on said latch plate extending into position to engage said ratchet teeth, said back wall of said partition having a forwardly extending flange at the upper portion thereof forming-a top wall of said partition and having, an aperture therein, the upper end of said latch plate extending upwardly through and slidably guided'in said aperture for vertical movement, said upper end when depressed moving said latch plate to move said tongue out of engagement with said ratchet wheel, and a pair of forwardly extending seat members secured to said back plate and to which said front plate is secured intermediate of-th'e' upper and lower ends thereof, said front plate being of resilient material with its upper and lower portions extending forwardly toengage and yieldingly press against filed artipics in said base.

2. In a filing' case of the type having spaced side walls withinwardly'opening grooves on their inside faces and rack teeth on a horizontal wall of each groove, the combination therewith of a compressor partition disposed between said walls, movablegforwardly and 'rearwardly and having front'and'back plates spaced apart to form a chamber therebetween, 'a shaft rotatably supported by said back'plate and extending between said spaced side walls into said grooves, a pinion fi'xed-on-each end of said shaft in said grooves and meshingwith said rack teeth, a ratchet wheel fixed'on saidshaft and having ratchet teeth, a latch plate having a projecting pawl bearing on said ratchet teeth at an angle to be cammed aside by; rotationof said ratchet wheel in one direction and to engage said ratchet teeth and prevent reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel, said-latch plate being mounted to slide up and down to carry said pawl into and out of engagement with said ratchet teeth, a guide bracket secured to said back plate and having forwardly extending portions which g uide said latch plate infit's-movement, a spring resilientlyurging said latch in a direction'toengagesaid 'pawl with the ratchet wheel teeth, said spring reactin against a portion of said guide plate and against said latch plate, said latch having an operating portion disposed exteriorly of said partition for manual manipulation, said pawl riding idly over said ratchet wheel teeth when said partition is moved forwardly and preventing reverse movement of said ratchet wheel and thereby preventing rearward movement of said partition until said latch is operated to remove said pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth, and seats secured to said back plate and on which said front plate is mounted.

3. A filing case according to claim 2, in which said latch plate comprises a flat strip slidingly mounted on said guide bracket and having a tongue projecting therefrom and extending somewhat tangentially of the ratchet wheel to engage with the teeth thereof, the upper end of said strip extending alcove said compressor for manual depression, and said spring urging said strip upwardly to carry said tongue into engagement with said ratchet wheel teeth.

4. .A compressor according to claim 2, in which said latch plate has a downwardly extending tongue and in which said guide plate has a forwardly extending bifurcated lower end into which said tongue extends and which guides said latch plate in its up and down movement, said spring being a coil spring extending about said tongue bearing against said latch plate and against said lower end of said guide plate.

5. In a filing case of the type having spaced side walls with inwardly opening grooves on their inside faces and rack teeth on a horizontal wall of each groove, the combination therewith of a compressor partition disposed between said walls, movable forwardly and rearwardly and having front and back plates forming a, chamber between them, a shaft rotatably supported b said back plate and extending across said chamber between said spaced side walls into said grooves, a pinion fixed on each end of said shaft in said grooves and meshing with said rack teeth, a

ratchet wheel fixed on said shaft in said chamber and having ratchet teeth, a latch plate having a projecting pawl bearing on said ratchet teeth at angle to be cammed aside by rotation of said ratchet wheel in one direction and to engage said ratchet teeth and prevent reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel, and mounted to slide back and forth and carry said pawl into and out of engagement with ratchet teeth, a guide bracket mounted on said back plate and having forwardly extending flanges at opposite sides thereof, said flanges having recesses into which said shaft extends, and which flanges hold said shaft against endwise movement, said latch plate being arranged between said flanges and guided thereby in its movement, the lower end of said guide bracket having a forwardly extending flange having an open-ended slot therein, a tongue extending downwardly from the lower end of said latch plate and extending through said slot, a coil spring extending about said tongue and bearing at one end on said flange and at its other end on said latch plate and resiliently urging said latch plate in a direction to engage said pawl with the ratchet wheel teeth, said latch 1 having an operating portion disposed exteriorly of said partition for manual manipulation.

JAMES R. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

